If you've scanned our menu looking for "butter chicken" and landed on Chicken Makhni instead, you haven't missed anything — they're the same dish. "Makhni" is the Hindi word for buttery, and it's the name the dish actually goes by in most traditional Indian kitchens. "Butter chicken" is the English translation that stuck outside India. We list it as Chicken Makhni because that's the honest name for it; either way, it's what you're picturing when you think of the dish.
What's actually in it
Chicken Makhni starts with 100% certified Halal chicken, marinated in spiced yogurt and roasted on long skewers in the tandoor — our clay oven, fired well past 900°F — the same way we prepare our tandoori chicken. That char and smokiness is the base of the dish, not an afterthought. The tandoori chicken is then simmered into a gravy built from tomato, butter, and cream, rounded out with warm spices rather than sharp heat. The result is rich and slightly sweet, with the tomato doing most of the talking.
It's one of the most-ordered dishes on our menu, and for good reason: it's the easiest entry point into Indian food if you've never had it before, and it's genuinely one of the best things we make.
Tandoori-Fired First
Fresh from our 900°F clay oven
Real butter chicken starts with chicken roasted on skewers in the clay tandoor before simmering into rich butter-tomato gravy.
Is butter chicken spicy?
Not by default. Chicken Makhni sits on the mild-to-medium end of our spice range on its own — the butter and cream mellow it out. Like most of our curries, it's on our adjustable spice system: tell your server mild, medium, or spicy, and the kitchen adjusts the chili accordingly. If you want the classic version, mild is the safest call. If you want more heat while keeping the same sauce, medium is a good middle ground without losing what makes the dish work.
Butter chicken vs. chicken tikka masala
These two get confused constantly, and the confusion is fair — they're close cousins. Both start with tandoori chicken. The difference is the gravy: Chicken Makhni's sauce is built primarily on butter, tomato, and cream, and reads sweeter and richer. Chicken tikka masala's gravy typically carries more of a spiced tomato base with a sharper edge. If you've had one and are curious about the other, they're worth trying side by side — different enough to notice, close enough that fans of one usually like the other.
How to order it
Chicken Makhni is prepared fresh to order with 100% certified Halal chicken. You can find it listed under the poultry section of our dining menu, available for dine-in, fast pickup, or direct delivery online across Mamaroneck, Rye, Scarsdale, White Plains, and Greenwich. It is also available for event catering — serving as one of the signature mains in our Essentials and Signature packages, or as a standalone party tray for 8 to 15 guests.
Pair it naturally with our freshly baked garlic naan to scoop up every drop of gravy, and basmati rice to balance the sauce. It's also a safe, crowd-pleasing choice if you're ordering for a group that's new to Indian food — mild heat, rich flavors, and an iconic classic done right.